Bhubaneswar, June 22 -- Thousands of sacks of harvested paddy have remained uncollected for the last 15 days at the PACS in Singhijuba, located in Binika block of Odisha's Sonepur district.

The prolonged delay in procurement by millers has left local farmers increasingly concerned over the safety of their produce amidst ongoing rains.

A total of 33,000 sacks of paddy are currently lying in the open. Due to continuous rainfall in recent days, the entirety of the stored stock got soaked. This resulted in the possibility of sprouting, which threatens to compromise its commercial value.

Despite the critical condition of the harvest, authorised millers have not yet arrived at the site to begin the paddy lifting process.

In response to the ...